The Butterflies
by Chasyn
Summary: The story of eight characters who meet their soulmates on Jurassic World. They know they've met their soulmates by feeling butterflies in their stomachs. (Short, almost drabble-like stories, gay characters, language, all that jazz. Owen/Zach, Claire/Zara, and more!)
1. The Man

In which eight characters get butterflies in their stomachs the moment they see their soulmates for the first time.

 **Butterflies**

 **The Man**

Butterflies. The moment he looked across the plaza and saw the kid. That's what he felt. Butterflies. It was the most ridiculous thing ever.

Claire's voice in his ears didn't register. She was thanking him or some bullshit, for agreeing to show her nephews around. He mumbled out a response, he was sure. Because he could see her smiling at him out of the corner of his eyes. And she looked happy. Which was a good thing. But he honestly had no clue what he said. Or what she said, for that matter. He couldn't concentrate on anything around him.

His eyes couldn't even leave the kid. He was standing, his hand on the shoulder of a much smaller kid. He looked equally parts bored and annoyed. And Owen knew, it would be his luck, that those were Claire's nephews. And the older one, Owen prayed he was legal, turned slowly. And he looked Owen's way. And the fluttering in his stomach only seemed to intensify.

Shit. He was over 30. How the fuck was some jailbait kid giving him the butterflies? He wasn't some teenager who believe in the love at first sight butterfly shit.

But he could feel the butterflies. And the thumping of his heart. And the rushing of his blood.

Fuck.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** This is the second shortest thing I've ever written. 8D


	2. The Kid

Here comes Zach! 8D

 **Butterflies**

 **The Kid**

He heaved out a sigh. It wasn't that he wasn't excited to spend the summer babysitting his overactive genius brother. He wasn't, of course. He just loathed the idea of being pawned off by their parents and ignored by their aunt. Because Gray might be the genius, but Zach wasn't stupid. He was actually pretty observant. Not that he really thought he needed to be. The fighting between their parents was getting old. And loud. As for their aunt, Zach could count on one hand all the times they'd seen her. Plus dinosaurs were lame. Maybe he'd been into them once. When he was like 8.

Gray darted forward, an excited laugh on his lips.

Zach rolled his eyes and reached out to stop him. Gray let out a disappointed squeak and pointed. Zach looked up, following his brother's gaze. Oh wow. There was aunt Claire. She actually showed up to...

Zach stopped moving. He sucked in a sharp breath and held it. Then suddenly, he forgot to breathe. His heart stilled, his palms started to swear, and his stomach was doing flip-flops or something. He leaned a little too heavily on his brother. Gray pulled away, some sharp remark on his tongue. But Zach didn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything. He stumbled back a step and finally remembered how to breathe. His lungs filled with air again and that was a good thing. But his heart kept it's erratic pace and the fluttering in his stomach didn't stop. If anything, the butterflies only seemed to intensify, like someone pissed them off and they fluttered their wings angrily.

And as Zach's eyes zeroed in on the man standing beside Claire, he knew why they butterflies were so angry. She was touching him. Claire's hands were suddenly on the man's arm, pulling him slightly to get his attention, it looked like. But his attention, it seemed, was on Zach. Just as much as Zach was in tune with him.

It was making him feel light headed. Was there such a thing as butterflies in your head? Butterflies on the brain? Was that a thing? Zach didn't think it was a thing. But as he started across the crowded plaza, he wondered.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** Brain butterflies, bro. They're a dangerous thing.


	3. The Assistant

Zara totally shouldn't have died and instead stayed on the island to get it on with Claire and everyone would have been happy.

 **Butterflies**

 **The Assistant**

She sat in the waiting room. She tried not to fidget. She pressed her oversized purse to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. Calm down, Zara, she thought to herself. It was just an interview. She'd had them before. It was nothing new. Just a normal interview. For an extremely high powered woman. A woman who was confident, tenacious, focused, and very work-oriented. Zara knew she could learn a lot from Claire Dearing. Even if, as Claire's assistant, 90% of her job would be fetching Miss Dearing's coffee. That was fine with Zara. That was perfectly fine. She would gladly fetch coffee.

The door opened and Zara took a deep breath. She stood up quickly, still holding her purse to her chest. Claire Dearing stepped out and turned towards her. Then the red headed woman stopped, staring at Zara, like a deer caught in headlights. There was a cell phone in her hand. She blinked for a moment before putting it back to her ear. Claire opened her mouth and spoke into it.

But something was happening to Zara. She felt the flutter in her stomach. Her eyes widened a bit. Like tiny, delicate butterflies. Just nervous, shy little flutters. And Claire was still talking. But Zara heard none of it. She couldn't focus on the voice or the spoken words. They weren't directed at her, at least. Well... she hoped not. What a terrific start to her interview. But she just shouldn't take her eyes off of Claire. They followed the woman as she turned back for her office and opened the door. Zara's eyes widened again and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly. Had she messed something up? Was she supposed to follow Claire? Had she said to? Why couldn't Zara focus? Why wouldn't her ears work right?

Claire returned a moment later with a piece of paper. She held it out to Zara, not looking at her. Zara swallowed nervously as the fluttering continued. She took the paper in her trembling hand and glanced down at the typed words.

4:00 am - 4:05 am: Wake up.

4:05 am - 4:10 am: Stretch.

4:10 am - 4:30 am: Cardio Kickboxing.

4:30 am - 4:50 am: Yoga.

... Zara scanned the extremely detailed list which included Claire's morning and after drink choices, usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner times, along with preferred foods. Was this... actually her schedule? The woman's daily itinerary? Did she always have her life so planned out?

Zara lifted her head. Claire was gone, her voice fading down the hall. Zara's eyes widened and she hurried to catch up.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** This one was the hardest to do without dialogue.


	4. The Boss

The Claire one was the most fun one to write so far. That is weird. Isn't that weird? It is weird.

 **Butterflies**

 **The Boss**

Claire felt the butterflies. Of course she had. The moment she saw the applicant sitting outside her office. She stared a moment at the young woman with the dark hair and pretty eyes. Her gaze dropped to the nervous twinge of a smile on those delicate lips. But Claire dismissed the butterflies as indigestion the moment they fluttered. One too many shots of espresso in her coffee that morning. She'd amend her routine tomorrow and see if one less would correct the issue. If it persisted.

She blinked, suddenly aware she was staring at her applicant. She didn't really have time for an interview anyways. This girl would do. Her stomach fluttered again as she turned for her office door. She grimaced at the unwelcome sensation as soon as her back was turned.

She brushed it off, though. And for a week straight, brushed every instance of fluttering off. Too much stress, maybe. It couldn't be the caffeine anymore. She'd completely cut it out by the second week. The third week, she tried changing her diet. More greens, more water, less fat, more fish, no sugar. She was having increasing trouble concentrating, too. She constantly had to ask her new assistant to repeat herself. Claire hardly heard her. She'd just smile and nod at whatever Zara said, feeling dumb.

A full check-up from the doctor found nothing wrong with her ears. Or her brain, stomach, or any part of her body. Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, iron levels. Not a thing She was in top shape. Nothing was wrong.

She increased her yoga routine, double it. She started walking in the morning instead of kickboxing. Maybe more fresh air, more stretching, more light workouts. Maybe less workouts all together. Maybe vitamin supplements. She would try just about anything to get rid of the constant feeling in her stomach and her inability to focus.

Zara was waving at her, a smile on her pretty lips. They were painted a light shade of pink today.

Claire blinked. She tried again to focus on her assistant, on something other than a shade of lipstick. But all morning, her aliment, whatever the mysterious thing was, had been really bad. The worst it had ever been. Zara was suddenly frowning. At her. Claire blinked again. Zara opened her mouth but whatever came out, Claire didn't hear. At all. She heard nothing. And her stomach was really acting up. The constant flipping and flopping feeling. She turned slightly and breathed out deeply. She was somehow dying from this odd thing. That's what it felt like.

Zara waved at her again, more frantically.

Claire looked over at her and her stomach twisted again. She grimaced and flinched.

Zara stared at her blankly for a moment. Then she reached out to touch Claire's arm. Just a gently brush of her fingertips. Claire felt the twisting again. An intense, almost fluttering sensation.

Fluttering...

Like butterflies.

Claire's eyes widened slowly. Oh.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** 8D It was also the longest. OH SO WEIRD!


	5. The Spider

Well... this short little drabble series should have been done and over with moooonths ago. XD 8 short little drabbles. And I did 4 and then just GAVE UP! BUT I AM DETERMINED TO FINISH! Also now there are 11 parts! 8D Maybe more. I might just keep going and keep picking couples to give butterflies to. So... yeah. Here ya go. It's short. But it's supposed to be short.

Oh! Since this site doesn't have tags like AO3... this is Peter Parker and Gray Mitchell.

 **Butterflies  
** **The Spider**

Ned's voice was in his ears. Peter could hear his friend. But he couldn't focus on the words. It was like his friend was speaking jibberish or something. Or maybe Peter's head was underwater. That's what it felt like. Because either way, he couldn't focus. He shook himself and closed his eyes for a moment. He tried to clear his head. But all he was getting... was this weird... buzzing? Or something? Something fuzzy, blocking out all his senses. He'd never felt anything like it before, and for a moment... he panicked. Had some villain gotten to him? Found out who he was and followed him and his friend and their families on their vacation? Had he been poisoned? Was he dying? Should he call Mr. Stark?

They were standing in the line for the gyrospheres. They were almost at the front of the line and Ned was waving his arms in excitement, looking like he might take off any moment. Any other time, Peter would laugh at his friend and join in. But Peter couldn't focus on him. Couldn't hear or feel or _anything_! He couldn't hardly move!

Yep. He was dying. He just knew it. Goodbye cruel world! To be struck down by something unknown, that made his head buzz and his... stomach... it was getting...

Another kid, about their age, had practically ran into him. Peter had stumbled back, nearly into Ned, as the nameless kid made his graceful entrance. Peter blinked for a moment, watching the bushy haired kid. Then the kid spun around, too fast, and stumbled. Peter moved without thinking, without realizing that he was suddenly able to move again. He reached forward and wrapped his arm around the stranger's waist, catching him. He pulled the stranger closer to him. And his aliment only worsened.

Then the stranger looked up at him and smiled. And Peter sucked in a breath. Damn. It was like his spidy sense. But way more... His spidy sense wasn't tingling. It was damn near exploding! Except... it wasn't really. It was... weird. Was it... was his stomach... fluttering... Peter hadn't even put two and two together. Because butterflies was _the last_ thing he ever expected. Ever! But standing there, on vacation and standing in line with Ned, he got the butterflies.

The kid's smile seemed to grow. Then he lifted his hands. He wrapped them around Peter's neck and pulled them even closer. He pressed their lips together, catching Peter completely by surprise.

And Peter was okay with that.


	6. The Squirrel

Squirrel is what the raptors in my Raptor Heart series call Gray. So... that's the title reference. XD Since all the titles are like... The Something. Wanted to follow the trend. Also... this turned out the longest one. XD So far, at least.

Oh. It's Gray Mitchell and Peter Parker again. 8D

 **Butterflies  
** **The Squirrel**

Gray had always been more intuitive than most. More empathic, more observant, more attuned with the world around him. So much more so, people often called him telepathic. Gray would smile and laugh when he heard that. It was a silly notion. Mind reading wasn't a thing. And he was glad of it. He didn't want to read other people's minds. He didn't want to know what dark thoughts lurked beneath their surfaces.

Gray stepped down off the ferry. He was there to spend spring break with his brother and his brother's much older boyfriend. Gray frequented the island a lot over the last couple years. He'd just spent Christmas there. And a weekend in February. So it was just like any other ordinary visit. Nothing new, nothing different, nothing out of the ordinary.

Until he felt them.

The butterflies.

Zach had told them about the butterflies. About feeling them the moment you see your soulmate. Zach had felt them a few years ago, the first time they'd been to the island. And his soulmate had been nearly twice his age! But it didn't matter, not when fate was involved. Zach said he knew at once. He saw Owen across the crowded dock and just knew. Owen had said something similar, adding in the romantic notion that he felt Zach in the air around him. Zach rolled his eyes at that, smiled, and punched his mate in the arm. Aunt Claire told him hers didn't work like that when he asked. She didn't know for nearly three months. Zara sighed and explained how clueless her mate was. When said mate stepped out of earshot, of course.

So Gray full heartedly believed in the butterflies. That wasn't the issue. Not at all.

The issue was that... he had no clue where the butterflies where coming from.

He hadn't been looking at anyone. He hadn't really been near anyone. He'd simply stepped off the ferry with the same people he'd been traveling with the past few hours. And the moment his feet touched the ground, the butterflies happened. Gray stopped and sucked in a breath. He turned all around, looking. Everywhere, anywhere. His mate had to be somewhere. And somewhere close by! They just _had_ to be! Didn't they? Wasn't that how it worked? You felt the butterflies when you _met_ your soulmate.

Zach was suddenly there, smiling and waving at him across the crowd.

But Gray couldn't hear him. What he could hear, on the other hand, was fluttering. It took him a moment to realize that's what he was hearing. Not only was he _feeling_ the butterflies in his stomach, but he swore he could _hear_ them, too. He would hear the soft fluttering of their wings, beating in the air. It was a soft, delicate sound. But... how... how was that possible? He'd never heard of anyone _hearing_ the butterflies before.

Gray took a step back. Then he turned and ran into the crowd. He kept running. He glanced over his shoulder a couple times. But he saw no trace of his brother. He had no clue if his brother had called his name. He couldn't hear anything but the fluttering. And then suddenly, the fluttering grew louder. He pulled to a stop and looked around. He wasn't hearing his own fluttering, it slowly dawned on him. He felt like... like he was following... was it... was it possible... to hear...

No. Gray closed his eyes and shook his head. There was no way he was hearing...

The fluttering beckoned to him. That was the sense he was getting. He started weaving through the crowd again, past a few of the attractions. He knew the park like he knew the back of his hand. He didn't even have to pause to think where something was or how to get there or how long it would take. He didn't have to think about where he was going. He was just following the sound. Until he realized ee was nearing the gyrosphere field. It was one of his favorites. And the line was long and congested.

Gray paused for a moment, turning to glance at the line. Then suddenly, he was running. He wasn't even sure why. He ran, weaving through and around the line, until he collided with someone. Gray cursed his inner clumsy streak as he turned. And stumbled. And then the kid who Gray had practically ran over was reaching for him. Gray felt steadying hands on him. And the butterflies where going crazy! Gray felt like he was going to explode from them!

Gray smiled as his eyes took in his savior. Pretty soft brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a smile that lit up his whole face. This kid was his age! He reached up and pulled his hero soulmate towards him. He didn't give the other boy a chance. He planted a kiss on him. And finally, _finally_ the butterflies in his stomach quieted.

And they were pleased.


	7. The Raptor & The Toy

**Butterflies  
The Raptor & The Toy**

Echo finishes her favorite movie. For prolly the bajillionth time. Was that a number? Echo didn't know numbers. Daddy doesn't know numbers either. Sometimes daddy says he's gonna count to three if Echo doesn't listen to daddy. She's certain daddy doesn't know what comes after two. Cuz Echo always stops whatever she's doing to listen to daddy. Cuz she wants to know what comes after two. And what number three is. Daddy never gets that far. But Echo doesn't think daddy minds not knowing. Cuz he's always happy after he gets to two. Maybe two is special number.

Echo doesn't know. But she stares at the box. Echo wants to watch another thing on the box. She wants to watch her favorite again. But daddy said no. Daddy said one. Echo watched one. But... Echo just loves Nemo! Echo wants to watch Nemo! Echo just... Echo stops. Echo feels funny. Echo's belly feels funny. Like the time Delta made her eat the big slimy worm. And it wiggled. But Echo didn't eat worms today. She is sure. No worms.

Echo blinks. She stands and turns. She's in her big pen, with her sisters. She doesn't really like it. She likes daddy's bungalow better. She likes the jungle next better. But this pen is bigger than the last one. And it has a box in there perm... pernen...tant... lee. Echo snorts. It has a box all the time. A big box without legs like the last one. The last box had legs and daddy would bring it in only sometimes. Now Echo has big box that no has legs and Echo can watch whenever she wants! Even when daddy only says one. Cuz daddy leaves and goes home at night. And Echo can watch more Nemo.

Echo stares at the box. She feels funny still. She snorts and wiggles her tail. She turns around and tries to look. Echo is fine. Echo doesn't see anything wrong with Echo. But why funny belly? She turns again and spins and then her head feels funny. Echo stops and shakes her head. Then Echo looks at gate cuz she hears something.

Mommy is standing at the gate! Mommy! Echo jumps up as the door opens. Mommy is back! Mommy's gone for many days at a time. Echo's not sure how many long. She doesn't know numbers. And she can't ask mommy. Because mommy doesn't understand her like daddy does. But mommy tries. And Echo loves mommy!

Echo jumps and starts bouncing. Mommy is walking towards Echo. His hands are behind his back. Echo is curious. Echo wonders what mommy is hiding. Mommy stops and he's smiling and talking. But Echo can't hear. She blinks her eyes. Echo's confused. Echo's really confused. She wonders if she really is sick.

Mommy tilts his head. Mommy is watching her. But Echo doesn't know how to tell mommy she doesn't feel good. But mommy is smiling at her. And he pulls something orange out from behind his back. Echo watches and blinks at the orange thing, half hidden in mommy's hands. Echo likes that orange. It's like Nemo. Echo likes Nemo. Echo _loves_ Nemo! And Echo learned to swim just like Nemo! Echo can Nemo, too!

And then, mommy turns his hands. And Echo can see what mommy is holding. And... it's... mommy... mommy has... Nemo! Mommy has Nemo... _MOMMY HAS NEMO!_ Echo's eyes widen and she darts forward. Mommy smiles as he holds out Nemo. Echo reaches out with her claws. She takes Nemo gently and hugs him and rubs her face against him and Echo has a Nemo now! Echo has Nemo!

And Echo's belly feels better. But she doesn't notice. Because _NEMO!_

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** 8D This was fun (and hard) to write. Because trying to get in the mind frame and mindset of my version of Echo from Raptor. Because I can't think of Echo now without my characterization of her. So there you go! Echo's soulmate is her Nemo toy.


	8. The Fan

Lowery Cruthers/Simon Masrani/Alexis "Lex" Murphy.

Nothing said in this should in no way or form be taken as fact. These are some of my own thoughts and fears expressed by Lowery. Not all transgender people have the same thoughts, feelings, fears, etc. Every person is different and different things shape their lives and feelings and shit. This is also not meant to offend or to mock transgender people in any way either. Simply one transguy's own feelings.

Also, these next 3 are the longest yet. XD Cuz I felt like the characters needed a bit more backstory, since they aren't very popular.

 **Butterflies  
The Fan**

The control room door opened and revealed Simon Masrani. He stood for a moment, looking around the bustling place. A smile spread across his face as he stepped into the room.

Lowery looked away quickly. It was a normal day, just like any other at the park. Attendance was high and his eyes were on his monitor, keeping track of all the various park stats. He'd been concentrating hard on his job when the control room door opened. It wasn't an unusual sound or anything. With so many workers, the door was constantly opening and closing. It was actually a comforting sound. But Lowery had looked anyways. He'd stopped what he was doing and swiveled in his chair. And seen Simon. And Simon had smiled at him. Well... probably not a him. Simon hadn't smiled at him. Lowery was certain. So he turned in his seat quickly and went back to work, trying to think through the fog that was suddenly in his head.

He'd always felt drawn to the man. Even before they'd official met. He'd always been a fan with a mild crush. But he was never sure why. Simon wasn't his soulmate or anything. He couldn't be. Lowery had never felt the Butterflies for the man. They'd met a few years ago when Lowery first started working at the park. No Butterflies. But there was something. There was something about Simon, that Lowery couldn't place. Simon made him feel... something. Foggy, had been what he'd come to call it. It wasn't the full senses shut down that came with Butterflies, where you couldn't really hear or think or anything, where everything was just the Butterflies and the other person involved. No, what Simon did to Lowery was more of like a fog settling over him. Like there was a foggy haze over his senses.

Lowery had been thinking about it a lot since the first fog. He was certain he knew why he hadn't gotten the Butterflies. And why he was certain he never would. He wasn't really a man. He'd been born a girl and started transitioning before college and that was why. Because he wasn't normal. Because he wasn't a man. And he wasn't a girl. He was nothing and he deserved nothing and that's why fate just made him foggy around Simon instead of giving him Butterflies. And that's assuming Simon was even his destined mate. Simon had never acted any different around Lowery. He'd never given the other man any indication that he'd felt the Butterflies or was attracted to him in anyway.

Which he wasn't, Lowery was sure. Because how would anyone love a not-man like him. Although he never regretted transitioning. Even if it messed with fate or whatever, he was happy as a man. Well... happ _ier_. He'd been miserable as a girl. So maybe he was destined to be alone for the rest of his life. But at least he was moderately happy. Just as long as no one found out and he kept to himself and kept his distance from Simon.

Lowery didn't even know if Simon was gay or straight or whatever. He'd never heard Simon talk about dating anyone before. Or being interested in anyone. Lowery had never heard Simon mention anyone before in any romantic capacity. People dated without the Butterflies. And some people went their whole lives without ever feeling them. Some people ended up not liking their soulmates or breaking up. A soulmate wasn't the end all. Some people didn't realize their sexuality until they felt the Butterflies.

Lowery was so lost in his thoughts, focusing on _not_ thinking about Simon or the maybe life he was supposed to have if he'd remained a miserable girl, that he didn't hear the man he wasn't thinking about walk up behind him. A shadow fell over Lowery's console and he sucked in a breath. His monitor flashed images of the ferry arriving and docking. But he couldn't focus on it. The fog was suddenly thicker, more so than it'd ever been. Lowery blinked and leaned to the side a bit, away from Simon. But it didn't help.

And then Simon touched him.

Just a light touch to Lowery's shoulder.

There was something different.

Something changed.

Lowery jumped up, pushing his chair back. Simon stepped forward, moving with him. He reached out and grabbed his hand. Lowery stopped. He swore for a second, he forgot how to breathe. What the hell? He felt it. It was faint, really faint, but he felt it. Lowery could feel the brush of the Butterfly wings in his stomach. But how... why now? Simon had touched him before. In passing. A few dozen handshakes. An awkward high five once. Friendly punches to the arm. A couple quick hugs and pats on the back. This one was no different than the other handful of times.

Lowery swallowed and looked up at Simon, who was mirroring his confusion. Lowery bit his lip as he met Simon's gaze. Then Simon looked away, at the monitors. He was still holding tightly to Lowery's hand as his eyes seemed to scan the images of the embarking passengers of the recent ferry. Lowery wanted to ask why. He wanted to ask what was going on. But his mouth wasn't working. His ears weren't either. His brain was more foggy than ever and he felt almost lightheaded. He hardly saw the crowded control room and the people waving at or talking to them.

Simon didn't seem to notice either. His grip on Lowery's hand tightened and he stepped back, pulling him along. Lowery let Simon pull him. And he followed along behind Simon like a lost puppy. The hand holding his anchored him, grounded him. And for some reason, he didn't fear this man finding out his deepest secret. Actually, Lowery suddenly couldn't wait to tell him. It was like a sudden weight was lifted off his chest, one he hadn't even realized was there. Just as soon as the fog or whatever lifted and he could talk and hear again. Because it was really...

Lowery stopped thinking as he realized they were nearing the central plaza. He frowned for a moment as Simon stopped. Had they really walked all the way through the control building? And then outside and through the shops? How had Lowery not noticed? And why was Simon just...

Then Lowery noticed. The Butterflies were beating faster, crazier. It was making him feel a bit queasy. And light headed again. And he just wanted to sit down. Lowery stumbled for a moment on his feet. Simon didn't turn, but he held tight to Lowery's hand and helped to keep him steady. Then Simon pulled him forward.

Lowery stepped up beside him.

And that's when he saw her.

Standing in front of the fountain.

Her blonde hair bathed in the sunlight making her almost glow.

 _Pretty_.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** 8D Simon's is done and Lex's is 1/3 done and my deadline for finishing all 3 is the 28th. And so far, I have not missed a deadline that Cosey has given me. So maybe posting them 1 a day will help get me there! 8D


	9. The Owner

And here comes Simon now! 8D

 **Butterflies  
The Owner**

Simon stood in the doorway. His eyes scanned the control room. It looked like just any other day. It _was_ just like any other day. He just wasn't sure why he was there. He wasn't supposed to be. He hadn't scheduled a visit. And he'd actually just been there. He'd left only two days ago. But there he was, standing in the doorway. He had woken up this morning, called his pilot, and they were in the air on their way to the island before he even realized it. Then they'd landed and he was walking through the building and heading up to control without a second thought. He hadn't even called Claire! He hadn't called and told anyone he was coming or that he was going.

Someone stepped in front of him and smiled. He couldn't place the face, wasn't sure of the name, and he couldn't focus on the words directed at him. He nodded at the nameless person and looked out across the control room again. And as he looked, Lowery looked up from his panel. Their eyes briefly met before Lowery looked away again. Simon had smiled in the brief window. The man was an enigma to him, one he couldn't figure out.

Simon knew of the Butterflies. Of course he did. Everyone knew of them. He hadn't really believed in them though. How could someone meet someone for the first time and fall in love instantly? How could someone know someone was their soulmate after just meeting them? Someone meant to be their other half and complete them. It was a foreign concept to him. No, he didn't want the Butterflies. He didn't have time for such silly notions. He preferred the old world notion of actually getting to know someone. Of talking to them, hanging around them, of being interested in who they were. Not of using someone for trickery and sex. Simon just didn't understand that. And he had no interest in it.

The first time he'd met Lowery, he felt something was different about the man. He wasn't sure what it was. He thought maybe the man had a crush on him or something. They way Lowery acted around him, the way he'd smile and practically blush around Simon. Over the years, Simon had gotten to know Lowery pretty well, he thought, in his brief visits. He'd spent time talking to the man. He'd smile at Lowery and touch him in some friendly way. And Simon enjoyed it.

And then, a few months ago, something changed.

Simon started wanting to touch Lowery more and he looked for every opportunity to do it in some friendly manner. A handshake, a hug, pat on the back, punch to the shoulder, and the one time he'd tried to high five the man, only to earn a confused expression. And sometimes, he'd be so focused on the man, that he couldn't focus on anything else around him. Which, he noted with delight, annoyed Claire greatly. He wondered if she was jealous of his interest in Lowery.

Simon walked across the crowded control room. He stepped around people, weaving through the room until he stood over Lowery's workstation. He leaned over slightly, studying the panels and ignoring the way Lowery leaned away from his slightly. There was a ferry docking. A few hundred new guests to be checked into hotels, wallets full of money to spend at his park, and lots of excited and smiling faces to delight. Simon smiled and absently lifted his hand to clap Lowery on the shoulder, as he'd done so many times before, since they'd met years ago when Lowery first applied to work on the island.

Simon _felt_ something.

Simon felt something _new_.

Simon felt something weird and _different_.

But before Simon had a chance to barely realized he was feeling something, Lowery jumped up and pushed away from him. The man's eyes were wide with confusion and maybe fear. Simon didn't like that. He stepped forward, following Lowery, and grabbed his hand. And that was new. Simon stopped. They stood there, holding hands in the middle of the control room, like some teenagers on a first date. And Simon could _feel_ them. He could feel the tiny fluttering in his stomach. It was weird and almost unsettling. Simon wasn't sure he liked it. Though he really didn't know much about the phenomenon. He'd never paid attention when other people talked about it. And his private school curriculum didn't have time for such silly things. He didn't know if the feeling would go away. Oh, he hoped it would! Because it was annoying. Even if he could _just_ barely feel it. Was it supposed to be so... soft? So light? He barely felt them.

Then Lowery bit his lip. Simon looked away quickly. It was too much, too public, too... weird for him. But, he noted to himself, he didn't let the man's hand go. His eyes settled on the video feed of the embarking passengers. And a flash of gold stopped him. He'd seen it, on the video, in the sea of people. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ he'd seen. But something had caught his attention. And the Butterflies were fluttering harder, so much harder, for just a moment. Something about the ferry, about the passengers. Or... one passenger? With blonde hair, maybe?

The Butterflies were wrong? Was that possible? In the span of a minute? It wasn't Lowery? Simon wasn't sure he liked that idea. He knew Lowery. He liked Lowery. He didn't want the stupid Butterflies to pick someone else, some stranger he'd never met that just arrived on the island. But the Butterflies fluttered almost angrily at the thought. Did that mean it _was_ Lowery? The Butterflies settled down a bit and Simon was more confused than ever. Why was this so hard to understand? He had to go down to the dock. He wasn't entirely sure why. He just needed to. _They_ needed to. Because he was still holding onto Lowery. And he had no intentions of letting go. And the Butterflies seemed to echo his agreement.

Simon stepped back, pulling Lowery with him. When the other man followed without hesitation or resistance, Simon turned and weaved them through the room. He didn't hear and hardly saw the people around them. They didn't matter. Suddenly all that mattered was whatever was waiting for them at the docks and the man following him.

Simon didn't pause or slow until they reached the central plaza. He had fully intended on going to the docks. But something, again, stopped him as they reached it. He stopped as the fountain came into view. And he saw her. Standing just in front of the fountain. He swallowed and tightened his grip on Lowery's hand. The Butterflies were fluttering wildly again. What was going on? Who was this woman? She seemed almost familiar. But Simon had no idea who she was.

Lowery suddenly wavered behind him. Simon felt his movement. He tightened his grip again and kept the man from falling. Then he pulled him forward. Lowery sucked in a breath and stepped closer to Simon.

And then the woman was walking towards them.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** Nameless says she sees Simon as more Demi-sexual. So it's now my head-cannon. And I'm trying to work on writing that. Which is weird for this. XD But I think I made it work.


	10. The Hacker

Yay! 8D The longest! Here comes Lex!

 **Butterflies  
The Hacker**

She hadn't been back to the island. Not since the first time. And she had never planned on setting foot on it again. It had taken years to get over what had happened. Years of therapy and countless hours of talking through it. And she still had the occasional nightmare of being chased by the velociraptors. She'd wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes screaming her brother's name, and have to meditate until her hands stopped shaking. It was like a panic or anxiety attack. But they were few and far between. Nearly two years since her last.

Tim's return to the island a year ago had been a surprise and shock to the family. They'd long ago several any ties they had to their grandfather's dream. Or at least, the rest of the family had. But Tim had announced that not only was he going to the island, but also that he had been back a handful of times and he was planning on moving there permanently and working there. And Tim had moved to the island, despite all their protests. And none of those revelations brought on attacks for her.

Lex had been a bit hurt at first. She felt... betrayed by her little brother. After their disaster of a trip the first time, they'd become closer. And Lex hated the idea that he'd lied to her. Even though Tim insisted he didn't _lie_. He just didn't tell her _everything_. But... she forgave him quickly. She couldn't fault her brother for following his dreams. He'd been obsessed with dinosaurs since birth and he'd been the closest with their grandfather. And she trusted him. He sent her statistics and articles on the island. There had been no deaths, no escapes, no rampages. Their safety records were flawless. Everything was perfectly safe, Tim had told her several times. And he sent her tickets every month, begging her to visit. He said it would do her good, help her to finally get past what happened to them and move on.

And then Tim had sent her pictures and videos of the baby veggiesaurus that had recently hatched. That was named Lexy. And it had been a ploy, a trick by Tim to get her there. And it had worked. Because the little long neck veggiesaurus Lexy was cute. And growing like a little week since her birth three weeks ago. She looked to be the size of a medium dog in the video he'd sent her yesterday. And Lex had a feeling that she just needed to go. She needed to go to the island and see the baby veggiesaurus and stay far away from the raptor and t-rex exhibits.

Yes. That was the reason she was there. To get over her shit and move on with her life. Though honestly, it'd been over 20 years. She was over it. She'd just never wanted to come. She'd had no interest in it. She hated when that stuffy suit guy, Masrani, had been put in charge of her grandfather's trust and started working on getting the island going again. She'd never met the man, of course. Her parents had once, maybe 15 years ago, when he first took over.

Lex shifted her weight from one foot to the other as the ferry docked. She was nervous. But she expected that. It had been over 20 years ago. She didn't want to think about just how long. Because it had been a looooong time since she was there. And she could still remember stepping down off the helicopter behind her grandfather. Lex took a deep breath and slung her duffle bag over her shoulder. Just a week. She could do this. Just a week. A week that she would probably spend most of in her hotel room, on her laptop or her phone or something, literally anything else than being outside with the dinosaurs. Well... with the dinosaurs larger than a dog.

She could do this.

But damn! She was almost shaking with nerves as she stepped down off the ferry. A sea of people practically floated across the docks around her. She got swept up with them for a few moments. Then she ducked out of the waves and stepped back, against the railing of a large tank. She knew the basic layout. Tim had sent her maps and she turned to gaze into the Mosaurus tank. Tank wasn't a good term. It was a lake. It was huge! She took another deep breath as her eyes zeroed in on the dark shape slowly gliding by. And _that_ was huge.

She could do this.

She turned. First stop, the hotel. She'd get checked in and then call her brother. Maybe. Maybe she'd ask the front desk where he was. She wondered idly, as she pushed away from the railing, if they would tell her where her brother was. She knew what building he worked in. He had sent her _a lot_ of pictures and maps. She could just strut right in like she belonged there. And find him all by herself. She stepped forward with a nod to herself because she was going to do just that. She barely took two steps before she stopped. She turned slightly and tilted her head. She had a weird... feeling? Was it a feeling? A weird... something. And for some reason, the weird something feeling was telling her to go the opposite way. She was equal parts annoyed and curious. And nervous. Why was she nervous? Well... the dinosaurs made her nervous. But this was a _different_ nervous. She adjusted the strap of her bag and headed the wrong way, which was the right way, the something feeling beckoned. And it was weird.

She kept going until she reached the large fountain. She stopped and stared at it a moment. It was cool, maybe. Overly large and maybe pretty. But why? This couldn't possibly be what she was meant to see. Just a dumb... She turned slightly and stopped. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her bag slipped from her shoulder and landed on the ground with a thud. She had thought she felt the Butterflies once, when she first started college. Her college roommate. But it turned out the girl was just _overly_ friendly and Lex had the worst case of untreated food poisoning the doctor said he'd ever seen. She was hospitalized for a week and when she was released, she quickly realized her roommate was not her soulmate.

She saw the two men, holding hands and staring at her and she knew. She knew the moment she saw them. They were her Butterflies. She recognized Simon. He was unexpected. He was a bit older than her and sort of connected to her family, even if she'd never met him. The other, the one with the glasses, she didn't know at all. But that's how this soulmate thing worked, wasn't it? Fate decided when soulmates met. The other man's mouth was hanging open. And it was adorable. She realized then what she'd been having since she'd stepped off the ferry. Maybe before. Maybe when she woke up this morning and decided today was the day she was visiting the island. The Butterflies.

In rare cases, the Butterflies of Fate chose two mates for one person. Lex had actually met someone in college who had gotten Butterflies two separate times, nearly two years apart. But Lex wasn't getting that feeling. She felt like they were both hers, but that they were also each others. An even rarer occurrence, for more than two people to Butterfly together. But Lex was certain.

Her bag forgotten, she started across the plaza towards them. Simon stiffened, she noted, as she neared. Surprise, she hoped, or nerves. But she got a sense of weariness from him. That was fine. She could respect that. They were strangers, after all. Not everyone reacted the same way. Not everyone was instantly prepared to accept their soulmate into their lives seconds after meeting. Everyone was different. And Lex could respect that. She altered her course slightly and instead, stopped right in front of Glasses. She smiled widely at him and reached for his free hand.

Glasses grabbed her hand before she hardly moved it. He moved without hesitation and held onto her tightly. Then he glanced sideways at Simon. Lex followed his gaze and smiled at Simon as well. She held her other hand out to him. She didn't move to touch him or anything, just held her hand out.

Simon watched and a few moments ticked by. But then he lifted his gaze to meet hers. And reached out slowly. And touched his hand to hers. And Lex swore, she felt a jolt of something pass through. Electricity or something.

Yeah. She could do this.

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

 **Author's Notes:** Ugh! I want to write more! XD Like a After the Butterflies thing. Because I wanted to just keep writing this one! It was the hardest to STOP! But I was like, NO! I HAVE TO STOP WRITING THIS! BECAUSE THIS IS THE POINT OF THIS WEIRD SERIES!


End file.
